Communion is, among other things, a sign of communion: that is, of unity in faith. Rudd has chosen to leave the Catholic communion and join the Anglican communion. So…

Ultimately the chaplain present, Father Graeme Malone, did not give the Prime Minister communion. Instead, one of the nuns provided him with Holy Communion.

Sorry; you lost me. Why is it OK for a nun to administer Communion when a priest shouldn’t?

Is it because a nun is not a minister of the Eucharist, so the situation was already irregular, and what’s one more liturgical abuse?

Or is it because a nun is considered less important than a priest, so her misconduct doesn’t matter so much?

Or is it because a priest would be answerable to the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, who is not fond of public liturgical abuse, whereas a nun would be responsible only to her religious superiors, who might not care?

The Sisters of St Joseph said today they had “no comment” on the incident and would not discuss the Prime Minister's private faith.

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